BrokenNeedles

I used small baby food jar to design and make a temporary trash bin for broken needles. I used pens for glass to decorate the jar. 

To avoid restless look I paint the inner walls of the jar by decoupage varnish. It took quite a while to dry out proper. 

Squirrel

I decorated a baby food jar by squirrel themed napkin. This is a coin can. I think the squirrel theme fits perfect with the idea. :)

PlantPress

This year I received PlantPress as a Mother's Day gift. I have desired it all my life and been pressing plants between book pages. Now I find it reasonable to have a proper plant press because of my new job. I need to make sample works for the next autumn term start. If I use pressed plants it will be unfair not to press extra plants because it will be autumn when the lessons will begin and all the plants faded. This summer I am going to press extra plants for the students just in case. Using a plant press is more reasonable for bigger projects than doing it in the old fashion way: spread the books all around the house.

It is Rico Design Plant Press size S with extra pack of blotting paper. It is made of brown MDF and comes without decoration. I used decoupage to decorate it and make it to be one sample work for the coming courses. First I painted the base by white and only once the make it to look a bit old. Then I used special stickers I've received from a dear friend to decorate the surface. These decoration stickers have glue on the back side but to secure their permanent position I used decoupage glue over them.

I needed several hours and sleep over the night to arrange the flowers over the base. I am very satisfied with the result. I need to sew a storage pack for this so that I can carry it with me in the nature when seeking plants to be pressed. They stay better if I can place them in the press right away instead of carrying them home and do it later. 

If you don't have the plant press you can carry a small book with you and place the plants immediately between the book pages and make sure the book stays tight closed in your bag.

Jar For Yule

 

I made a cute little gift of an old jar where was beetroots when I bought it. Now I decorated the jar by decoupage, sew a pretty cover and filled it with 26 different kind of tea bags and root chakra body butter.

I used a napkin for the decoupage decoration. On December 2017 I made decoupage glass jars -tutorial for you.

I made the cover of recycled felt. This is one of the last remaining pieces of An Old Jacket. I used it also for CatPillow. At first I was a bit sorry I had no lace but then I realize I could use machine embroidery decoration by the edge. It was cheap and easy. I am happy with the result.

Simple white elastic band keeps the cover at its place. It all match well together and create cozy Christmas spirit of old times. It is a nice little gift for Yule 2021.

BlueTit

 

Here are two interesting items. A piece of a wall paper DearM from TheFarm sent for Me Y E A R S ago. (Thank you once more!) Since that I have been treasuring it with MyStamps I use for the correspondence. Every time I open the file of MyStamps I see TheBlueTit. It was a sample to show how beautiful wall paper She had found but I wanted to keep it and do something with it... To decorate something special with it.

Few days ago He had left a box of old small tools at the kitchen table. I asked why it is there. He said it is going to recycling bin. OH! How could He do so??? It is B L U E! It is T I N B O X! I looked inside and told Him to remove inner structure and wash it W E L L. And He was very kind and did so. Now I finally had a box for BlueTit!

Let's work with it!

Because it was a wall paper (= thick paper) at the end I decided to glue it at first on the box to make sure it stays forever.

Then I let it dry a bit.

Because I wanted it to be everlasting I finished the project by using decoupage glue over the picture. It formed out a protective cover over the paper.

Now it is finished and filled with MySmallKnittingEquipment. Isn't it sooooo beautiful!

DecoupageGlassJars -tutorial

 

Need a low budget last minute gift idea for someone special by Christmas? Here is one my own design decoupage project. You need empty glass jars (I am sure there's some in your or your mother's kitchen), a piece of fabric (I used BiasTape for the edges, see tutorial for HomeMade BiasTape), elastic band or ribbon, pictures, Decoupage glue and some sweets.

Before starting make sure the glass jars are clean and dry. You need pictures cut off from a thin paper or fabric. Make sure your glue is suitable for the materials. I didn't have glass glue but such universal decoupage glue for paper, wood and all the surfaces that can be paint. It seems to work just fine with these decoration glass jars. I was afraid of it won't stay on with the picture.

Cover the table by newspapers. Then apply the glue by a paintbrush on the jar and background of the picture. Place the picture on the glass and apply the glue all over it. Let it dry a bit and apply the glue twice more.

While waiting it all dry out proper make the fabric cover to decorate the lid. You can also just cut off the fabric and fray the edges a bit.

Use elastic band or ribbon to fasten the fabric on to the jar. You can also use a cut off fabric ribbon. It will look pretty and rustic.

Place in what ever you desire; sweets, buttons, ribbons... And ta-dah: it's ready to be given away to make a happy smile.

Decoupage, hearts & nails

 So here they are! Visible but unfinished.

The lids need hinges. Now they are just lids you lift away. In the original use they were just nailed to the boxes to avoid misuse.

I finished GreenHeart...

...and started with another BlueHeart.

What comes to my WoollySecret I am happy to tell that finally today I was able to cut Gynter's nails. I started yesterday and finished today. He was a bit unwilling to do it but I was smarter. He got a proper bouncing outdooring moment. He got very tired and then naughty me took the nailclipper and started the operation. Ha haa!

Jumping around had relaxed him. Training during the outdooring made him tired too. So he noticed it was just easier to let me do it. I asked a lot of respection and understanding what it means. He needed to trust in me and I needed to be worth of trusting especially on the moments he lost his faith.

I need to cut his nails often because they have got really long. I can't cut them too short because there could be some bleeding. When we shorten them little by little the veins pull back and at the end the nails will be short enough and kept in that way.

A Day Off

I had a day off; at home. It's been time since I had really honestly a day off. Even the dinner was easy, so I didn't need to bother much at all. That's why I had such wonderful relaxing crafty time with me only.

I started the day with painting.

We all have our own very special addicts. One of mine is wood boxes. People know it and I love it.

These are old bullet boxes. Just trash and would have ended up to be destroyed.

One had weird lid but that is not a problem.

I used old paints.

I painted them in...

...and out.

I need to let them dry proper.

Still my brains think it all the time. I had to go and find my old decoupage papers... We'll be back in business...

I started GreenHeart and stitched it for some time. This time I use Waste Canvas.

I did also some gardening. It is late spring time and my tulips look like this. They are in time.

This is how my BlanketNo2 looks at the moment.

I prepaired it for the next crocheting moment. New shade picked up.

Bellpull End -tutorial

Easy and cheap way to hang your home made decoration on the wall is to use Bellpull End. It is cheaper than framing and easy to do by yourself. Shops sell different kind of Bellpull Ends but sometimes it is just reasonable to do it all by yourself. If it can not be seen to the front side it doesn't matter how the Bellpull End looks. But if you need to show it, here's one tip how to make it sparkling.

You need paint, glitter and decoupage glue.

You need also round wooden stick. This one is a piece of an old curtain rod.

Use sandpaper to smooth over the rod and to take away the old paint or varnish. Place paper on the table to protect it from the mess. Put pins to the ends of the rod and place the rod on something; I used fire wood.

Pins are excellent aid during the painting. You can hold them to avoid messing up the surface.

I use water-soluble paint...

...because it is easier to clean your brushes.

When the paint is dry and ready for other layers; mix the decoupage glue and glitter. Use another jar if you need later plain decoupage glue. ;)

Stir the glue to get the glitter mixed up.

Spread out the glitter decoupage glue all over the desired area.

You can keep it just a little bit of shine and glamour...

...or put it more and more and more. Depending on how visible you want the effect to be.

Some projects just are too speacial for factory made Bellpull End.